We are not approaching an end of the world spelling disaster, the anti-Christ, doom, and gloom – which is the fear based, and non-apostolic theology being preached today. On the contrary, we are moving towards where the Church is fully transformed into the image of Christ, in other words, towards glory. When the disciples questioned Jesus about the signs of the times, the end of the world and when it would be, Jesus answered and, in his answer, He was referring to their generation and world, not ours. The blood of all the prophets Israel killed, including that of the final one, Jesus, would come upon that generation of Israel, and the Kingdom of God removed from them, given to a new people, the Body of Christ. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they failed to recognise the time of their visitation and refused to accept God’s peace, their Messiah. In the year AD70 that, which OT prophets and Jesus prophesied over Israel because of their stubborn disobedience, was literally fulfilled in the total destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army, leaving the city desolate. The last days began at the coming of Jesus. There are various references in the New Testament that those were the last days – the last days of the world (or age) of the Law and its system of rulership over the nation. Jesus gave signs to his disciples by which to recognise the beginning of sorrows: False Christs – up until 70AD, Israel was overrun with people falsely proclaiming themselves to be the Christ, deceiving with lying signs and wonders. Wars and rumours of wars: In this same time period there were massive wars and invasions happening because of the fragmentation of the Roman empire. Famines and earthquakes: These have all been historically recorded as having taken place during this time period. The sorrows culminated in the revelation of the anti-Christ and tribulation which was that which took place in Jerusalem during its destruction. Jesus also told his disciples (not us) of how they would be persecuted and killed, but that the gospel would be preached to all the then known civilised world before the end (the end of Jerusalem) would come and it all happened exactly like Jesus said it would. All these things were signs – of the coming judgment; spiritual language indicating the end of Israel being ruled through the Law by the scribes and pharisees (sun and moon darkened, stars falling, and heavenly bodies shaken), and the coming of Jesus with a new order and principles, since the existence of two methods of salvation simultaneously, could not be allowed. The people of Israel saw Christ coming first, but the elect of God would be from all nations, not just one nation. We are living in the third world since creation, which is, through the glorious Christ, the home of the righteous, world without end. Jesus broke the curse of sin off from us, so that we can break the curse which is keeping creation in bondage. Our mandate is to do the greater works. God’s kingdom will fill this earth.
